In facilities or machines, substrates must often be introduced and removed. Present machines work in the continuous mode or in the batch mode. In the continuous mode, the substrates are transported one after the other through the facility. In the batch mode, the substrates are transported in packets or stacks to working or treatment areas of the facility. Then, the substrates are delivered to the next process area in packeted or stacked form. In this method, possibly generated substrate fragments can cause a facility stop when the facility has to be stopped for transporting the substrate fragments out of the facility. There is the risk that substrate fragments which are not collected and directly transported out of the facility damage or contaminate seals and other components of the lock. Moreover, the substrates should be introduced in and removed from a system that is protected as much as possible in order to prevent air turbulences above and below the substrates, so that the substrates do not fracture.
Devices for introducing and removing substrates are known, e.g., from U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,638 A and US 2007-0134078 A1.